Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor, speaking on the occasion of his donation of food and material items to the less privileged at St Patrick's Cathedral, Awka as part of the Easter celebration.

Although the 2017 Easter festivity has come and gone, over one thousand less privileged and vulnerable people within Awka and environs will forever remain grateful to the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev. Dr Paulinus Ezeokafor, for donating food items, clothing, and some cash gifts to them.
The less privileged, who cut across various religious denominations, including men, women, indigent citizens, poor and needy, people with disability, as well as disadvantaged children, received some cash, clothes, tubers of yam, beans, rice, garri, coconut, onions, among other gifts from the man of God.
Presenting the gifts at St. Patrick's Catholic Cathedral, Awka, the prelate asserted that it was his annual Easter gesture aimed at remembering the downtrodden in society with a view to giving them a sense of belonging.
Bishop Ezeokafor who is the chairman, Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, CBCN's, Committee on Laity, said that the diocese always gave out such gifts to same group of people once a month. This is even as he called on the government, politicians and good hearted individuals to join in making them available to the poor, who according to him, suffered as a result of ill health, and economic challenges.
He however advised people not to resort to begging, as he prayed for a better economic situation to provide enabling environment for people, local and foreign investors to thrive.
While commending the prelate, Very Rev. Fr. Francis Chidume, the Awka Diocesan Chancellor, enjoined other religious leaders to organise similar projects to help the vulnerable among them.
For his part, Ebenebe Ernest Onyeka, the Programme Manager of Justice Development and Peace Caritas (JDPC) Awka Diocese, urged politicians to see the bishop's project as a better opportunity to reach out to the people.
Some of beneficiaries, Alice Nkpukpa and Nneka Ezeome, said that they had received such for years and promised to extend same gesture to neighbours.